DR. WALLACE: Our high school has started a new club on campus, Students Against Driving Drunk. Its main purpose is to educate students about the dangers of drinking and driving. I have joined this club and have been elected vice president. My main duty is to put out a memo to the student body about drinking and driving, warning my fellow students of the dangers.
Since Students Against Destructive Decisions (formerly Students Against Driving Drunk) is a national organization, I will be getting a lot of data and information from its headquarters. But our supply of materials hasn't arrived yet, so I would appreciate any information that would help give a wake-up call to students who might drink and then drive. — Veep, via email
VEEP: Every year, studies and statistics are published that indicate thousands of people are sadly killed in alcohol- or drug-related automobile crashes, and unfortunately, a high percentage are teens. Many drivers regularly or sometimes consume alcohol or drugs within two hours of driving, and teens, again unfortunately, make up a significant portion of this subset. Even in this new age of Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing services, many impaired individuals still make the terrible — sometimes tragic — mistake of getting behind the wheel, even though they endanger themselves, their passengers and other drivers and pedestrians on the roadways around them.
Your school should be commended for having SADD on campus. Every high school and college should have a chapter of SADD. Learning about the destruction caused by drinking and driving is of great importance and may indeed save several lives in the process. Congratulations. Keep up the great work for this most worthy organization.
I DON'T WANT HIM CALLING ME
DR. WALLACE: My boyfriend and I broke up about a month ago because I wanted to date another guy. I like my ex, but I didn't love him, even though he told me many times that he loved me. My ex wants us to remain friends even though we are no longer dating.
I don't dislike this guy, but I don't want to be friends with him at this point in my life. I'd be glad to talk with him if I met him at a party, but I don't want him calling me the way friends call friends. I also don't want to hurt his feelings, but my gut is telling me to keep him at a reasonable distance now that we have stopped dating and have gone our separate ways in the relationship department. I want to tell him this, but my sister thinks I'm being a stuck-up snob and I should just chill out and be his friend. What do you think? — Uncomfortable Remaining Friends, Kewanee, Illinois
UNCOMFORTABLE: You are not being snobbish when you choose not to remain friends with an ex-boyfriend. It's your life, and it's up to you to choose your own friends. As you already mentioned you had a gut feeling about keeping some distance from him, I would recommend that you follow your gut. I do like that you say you would be polite and lightly social with him should you run into him at a party, sporting event, school play or elsewhere. I think that demonstrates you have a good attitude and are being appropriately respectful in this situation.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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